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The funding drive to bring the Central Illinois Food Bank back to Fayette County has passed the halfway mark on its goal of $3,300.
In March, the Fayette County Farm Bureau learned that the funding for the mobile food bank had been reduced, and it might not be able to return to Fayette County.
The Farm Bureau Foundation decided to step up and try to raise the $3,300 needed to bring the food bank back to Fayette County three times this year. Letters were sent to area civic organizations, churches and businesses looking for support.

An Edgewood, Ill., man was sentenced on April 6, 2012, in United States District Court in Benton, on a one-count information charging making a false statement in acquisition of a firearm, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Stephen R. Wigginton announced on Monday.
Richard Paul Culver, 55, was sentenced to three years probation and 30 hours of public service, and was fined $1,000.

• A 17-year-old youth was arrested on April 9 on a charge of illegal consumption of alcohol. The youth was released on a notice to appear in court.
• Jeffrey D. Reeter, 47, 517 N. Coles St., Vandalia, was arrested on April 8 on charges of aggravated assault and criminal damage to property. Bond was $1,000.
• Roy L. Hardin, 30, Collinsville, was arrested on April 8 on charges of possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis and operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol. Bond was $3,000, and he was released on a personal recognizance bond.

✔ TOPS IL 2490 will meet from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Ramsey. Weigh-in is from 9-9:30 a.m. For more information, contact Dovie Heaton-Bergin at 283-1729.
✔ Fayette County Home and Community Education will hold its Get-Acquainted Day at the Golden Years Club building in Brownstown. Registration is at 9 a.m., and brunch is at 9:30 a.m.
✔ TOPS IL 1872, Ramsey, will meet at the Christian Church in Ramsey. Weigh-in is at 6:20 p.m., and the meeting is at 7 p.m.

Ideal weather and block after block of merchandise translated into another big turnout for the Ramsey Lions Club's Community Sale on Saturday.

In the first photo, Ed Hargrove of Bingham looks over a Ford tractor that was for sale at the Ramsey Lions Club's Community Sale on Saturday. In the second photo, a crowd of auction-goers encircle one of the many auctioneer trucks on the grounds. In the third photo, Don Culbertson auctions off some of the farm equipment up for sale at the 51st annual Lions sale.

(ARA) - Every garden is filled with them: millions of unseen weeds. They are dormant seeds that lurk just below the soil surface, ready to spring to life with just the briefest exposure to light.
Weeds can choke a garden, robbing it of space, nutrients and water. Allowing weeds to mature compounds the problem, as they are naturally prolific seed producers.
They grow aggressively and can be tough to get rid of, because pulling weeds brings more weed seeds to the surface.
The good news is that seeds can also be key to winning the war on garden weeds.

(ARA) - Grass is an extraordinary plant, the unsung hero of backyards everywhere. With proper care and feeding, grass can help clean the air, cool the ground, reduce erosion and provide one of the softest outdoor play surfaces. With all of these amazing benefits, it pays to start the spring season off right by giving grass a boost.
The drought and heat of last summer, combined with uncharacteristic winter temperatures in many regions, may have taken a toll on the lawn, but getting it back on the road to recovery is easy.

A Vandalia man has agreed to serve 11½ years in prison for the aggravated battery of a child.
Jason A. Eller, 34, 1320 W. Madison St., entered an Alford plea to the offense in front of Judge Allan Lolie Jr. in Fayette County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
In an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit to committing the crime, but does admit that the prosecution could likely prove the charge.
Aggravated battery of a child is a Class X felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.